1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to systems and methods of accessing data in a computing processor. More particularly, the present invention relates to accessing data in a cache memory of a computing processor to externally observe and control the data.
2. Background Art
Some prior art computing processors, such as a microprocessor, include a cache memory to reduce the access time to data during execution of computing instructions. In such a computing processor, the computing processor accesses data in a main memory external to the computing processor and stores the data into the cache memory. Because the access time to the data in the cache memory is faster than the access time to the data in the main memory, the computing processor subsequently accesses the data in the cache memory instead of the main memory. Further, if the computing processor modifies the data in the cache memory, the computing processor eventually stores the modified data into the main memory to maintain consistency between the data in the main memory and the data in the cache memory.
In these computing processors, data in the cache memory is not readily accessible externally of the computing processor. Although the computing processor can access the data in the cache memory, the data in the cache memory cannot be externally observed or controlled without executing computing instructions in the computing processor to make the data externally accessible. Moreover, the computing processor must access the computing instructions from the cache memory or the main memory before executing the computing instructions, which delays access to the data in the cache memory.
In light of the above, there exists a need for an improved system and method of externally accessing data in a cache memory of a computing processor.